Slowing Down?

One of my friends recently asked me an interesting question. First, some context. This friend is in his early 50s, and he’s obsessed with the idea of retirement. His work gives him much dread, and he’s fully living into the often-discussed statistic about how 70% of Americans either dislike or hate their jobs. In his case, “hate” is the appropriate word. His strategy is simple: tolerate the misery, hoard as many resources as he can, and hopefully, by the time he’s in his early 60s, he’ll have enough money to retire and “finally enjoy life.” In other words, his vision is to hate his life for another decade, then ride off into the sunset to live a life he believes will be far superior to the one he’s currently living.

Here was his question: “Do you look forward to slowing down?” This was a reference to my work and to my often-published perspective on doing it for the rest of my life. Short answer: no, I don’t look forward to slowing down. Given my perspective on the topic, the act of slowing down will likely be the result of declining energy and/or fading health. Therefore, no, I don’t look forward to slowing down. This mentality obviously flies in the face of our culture’s view of work and money. The world says we should aggressively pursue a life of leisure, and if we have the financial resources to make it happen, the sooner the better. However, if we are continuously pursuing work that matters, then, hypothetically speaking, we should find ourselves perpetually waking up excited to engage in our work. Our work should ADD to our lives, not negatively impact them. 

What if we don’t enjoy our work anymore? Well, that doesn’t mean we should just quit work! Rather, it means we should seek to change the work we’re pursuing. Life is about seasons. As we grow, evolve, and experience new things, the definition of “work that matters” may evolve as well. I’ve already made many shifts in my work since I left my prior career in 2019 to start my own company. Some of my work is identical, some has morphed, and some is completely different. It doesn’t mean I was wrong; it means I’ve changed. And that’s a good thing!!

I know I’ll need to slow down someday. It’s inevitable. I don’t look forward to that, but I will absolutely embrace it for whatever it is. As long as I’m pursuing work that matters to me at that stage of life, at whatever intensity God allows me to pursue it, it will be a win. That’s what success looks like to me. Perhaps you have a different perspective on the topic. If so, that’s okay! On the flip side, maybe this will give you something to ponder today. If so, I hope you find it valuable. Let’s crush the day. 

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